Rou

Updated blog link

The economy can be tough. Job seeking is one of the least pleasurable activities that you can be involved in. It exposes the seeker to all manner of insecurities and self doubt. When you NEED a job, you're vulnerable.

I've been there. And I hope I never have to do it again. Though I'm pretty sure I will at some point.

Katherine Coble just wrote an article about J. L. Kirk & Associates in Tennessee. Apparently her husband was trying to use their agency to assist in his job search. After an initial interview, they requested he come in again. And... he should bring his wife. Let me just say... that's fucking weird. Alarms, bells, whistles and klaxon horns.

Anyway, they went through a long interview that she felt was pretty aggressive and predatory. Just to note, those are OPINIONS. That's important later. Then, at the conclusion of the interview, the agency requests close to five thousand dollars to be put down as a deposit on their services. And if they found him a job, they'd take a chuck of the action. Somewhere in the area of 30-40%. Those are FACTS. Also important.

She was mad. She blogged. Everyone on THIS site understands that. She complained that they seemed to be trying to take advantage of the NEED for a job and were trying to use that to force the couple into agreeing to terms with them.

She closed with a recommendation that others not use the agency.

Got all that. Feel free to check the link and read her words for yourself. Sometime after, someone from the company noticed it and responded. Not very well though and makes some rather unflattering comments about the couple. Which, naturally Katherine takes exception to. So she makes a new post with the employees quotes and responds to the comments.

You see, that's icky and annoying, but it's the next part that is rant worthy. THEY THREATEN TO SUE HER. Demanding that she remove the post, the employee's quotes and her response. Refusal to do so would result in them suing her for tortuous interference and other damages.

Total fucking BULLSHIT.

Look fuckheads at JLK&A... you're idiots. I don't give a rats fuck if the woman's account is accurate or not. It's half opinion and half factual. There is abso-fucking-lutely nothing you can do about it. Free speech mother fuckers. Proving libel or slander is real fucking hard. Oh, and your dumbass threat, has backfired and I'm 100% glad to be a fucking part of it. Instead of removing this little dispute from public view, you're center stage now bitch. #1 hit on google goes right to this shit. Aren't you proud? Good fucking job at sweeping this under the carpet.

Seriously, how far up your ass is your head? This is throwing bad PR at bad PR. And despite popular thought, not all PR is good. And now you've got a number of people aware of your company and not in a good way.

Why do companies think that threatening bloggers is really going to make them fold up their tents and run away. Do they have any fucking idea how difficult it is to prove libel? Seriously... read the post. Tell me where she lied or fabricated quotes. Back it up. Support it.

Otherwise, sit down, and shut the fuck up.

Oh, and for the record, I don't recommend ANYONE use a headhunter. Particularly not JLK&A.